Stonehill officially gains full NCAA Division I membership

By Maddi Achtyl 

Father John Denning announced this week that the school has completed the accelerated NCAA Division I reclassification process, making 22 of the 23 teams eligible for NCAA postseason competition.  

This announcement comes just weeks after the college announced its commitment to investing in athletics, following a $15 million donation from Tom ‘72 and Kathleen Bogan for a new ice hockey and basketball facility, which will be named the Tom & Kathleen Bogan Arena.  

Stonehill made the jump to compete at the Division I level on July 1, 2022. Since then, the college has been following the NCAA reclassification guidelines. The reclassification process typically takes four years. However, the College was able to accelerate the process due to updated NCAA legislation passed earlier this year.  

Under the new legislation, institutions transitioning from Division II to Division I can now complete the reclassification process within three years. Institutions transitioning from Division III to Division I can now complete the reclassification process within four years, rather than the previous five years.  

To accelerate this process, institutions must meet updated higher academic, financial, and operational benchmarks. These benchmarks focus on the student-athlete experience and ensuring they have the support they need to make this transition successfully.  

Stonehill successfully achieved the updated requirements. Academically, the College met the standard of being above the 10th percentile of Division I members in the Academic Progress Rate (APR) and graduation rate. Financially, Stonehill adjusted its budget and scholarship offerings to align with those of other Division I programs.  

These requirements are in place to ensure that schools are fully ready to make the jump to the highest division in college sports. By meeting all these requirements, the College has demonstrated its readiness to have its varsity sports fully compete at the Division I level and that the school is committed to supporting its student-athletes and coaches in making the transition.   

Stonehill has 23 Varsity teams on campus, and with the completion of the reclassification process, 22 of the 23 teams can compete in postseason competition. 20 of the teams compete in the NEC and will now be eligible to reach NCAA postseason play.  

The Women’s Ice Hockey team has been eligible for NCAA postseason play since their inaugural season during the 2022-2023 season in the New England Women’s Hockey Alliance (NEWHA) conference and made the school’s first NCAA tournament appearance during the 2023-2024 season.  

The Men’s Ice Hockey team is in the hunt for a conference to compete in, but for now, they will remain a Division I independent program. Once they enter a league, they will be eligible to reach postseason play. 

The equestrian team participates in the Intercollegiate Horse Shows Association (IHSA), which is not an NCAA-sponsored competition, and will be the only varsity team that will not compete in an NCAA postseason.  

The IHSA provides all collegiate equestrian teams with the opportunity to compete at the National Championship. This past season, three athletes from Stonehill competed in the IHSA national championships in North Carolina.